It plays in the sameleagueas commercial LCA software, such as SimaPro, GaBi, or Umberto, but offers distinct differences.

Using openLCA

openLCA is versatile and able to meet needs of different user groups, be it e.g. industry, consultancy, education, and research.

Using openLCA in industry

With low total cost of ownership, easy installation and use, features for professional modeling and for collaboration in team, the largest set of data available for LCA, and not the least full transparency, openLCA is a good choice for use in industry. openLCA is also suited as basis for customised software solution, for powerful and intuitive web- or desktop applications.

Using openLCA in consultancy

Similar as for industry, low total cost of ownership, easy installation and use, features for professional modeling and for collaboration in team, and the largest set of data available for LCA make openLCA a good choice for LCA and footprint in consultancy. Since the software is free, it is very easy to share your life cycle model with clients, or for review and quality assurance.

Using openLCA in education

openLCA is used in many university classes worldwide, also linked to research. Easy installation, affordable or free faculty licences offered by many databases, and rich modeling options are reasons to select openLCA for student work and teaching classes.

Using openLCA in research

openLCA provides features and possibilities not available in other LCA software – and it can be extended to meet and include specific new approaches. At the same time, openLCA is a user-friendly software – users are not forced to work with a “nerdy” command-line for example. This makes openLCA very suited for research.

openLCA offers the largest collection of data sets and database worldwide for LCA software, some for purchase, some for free; altogether, almost 100,000 different data sets are available.

Not only the sheer number, but also the variety of datasets and databases is useful for practitioners. And as far as possible from the original data sources, the data sets are consistent and can be combined. All data sets are available on our “Nexus” website, here https://nexus.openlca.org/.

Since its beginning, openLCA is an open source software, according to the standards of the open source initiative. This is uncommon for LCA software, where other main software packages are closed source, with costs for a business licence of several thousand Euros. One reason for its development was to make LCA and Sustainability Assessment more accessible and affordable, and we are grateful for supporters for the project, initially in Europe and later on especially in the US.

As a result, openLCA is completely free, without any license costs, and there is no catch. The software is fully transparent.

We believe this fits perfectly to Life Cycle and Sustainability Assessment; as a user, this brings you flexibility, you do not need to worry about software codes, and are not locked in, and bound by, a closed source, black box software.

Since the code and program is accessible, you see the quality of our work. If you want you can inspect the code for any potential issues including security issues and any malicious behaviour. This makes openLCA also suited for work in highly sensitive areas, but also in education and research.

Further, openLCA is also well suited for tailored software, developed by you or by us. Contact us if you are interested, and find examples here.

And by the way, the fact that openLCA is open source causes no obligation to publish or make accessible any data you use, or models you create in openLCA.